Landing apparatus of aircraft



April 20,1926.

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MICHAEL ADAHCZIK, OF KOWNO, LITHUANIA.

' LANDING APPARATUS OF AIRCRAFT.

Application filed December 18, 1923. Serial No. 680,554.

To all whom it may concern: 8

Be it known that I, MICHAEL 'AnAMozm, a citizen of Russia, and residing at Laisves, Al, N. 62, Kowno, Lithuania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Landing Apparatus of Aircraft, ofwhich the following is a specification. v

The circumstance that aeroplanes and the like air-craft (hereinafter included in the term aeroplane) fitted with-landing wheels require a comparatively firm and fiat surface fortaking off from the ground, and more particularly for landing, renders their use diflicult in places (such as the wilder roadless districts in the colonies, snow-covered ground and the like) where they would otherwise constitute the best means of transort.

p The resent invention has for its object to provide an improved apparatus for aeroplaneswhich is desi%1ed to be mounted on the axle journals of t e landing framing, in the placb of the usual landing wheels, for the purpose of assuring a smooth landing in all circumstances.

The improved ap aratus consists mainly of ski-like runners hereinafter referred to as ski-runners) suspended in a pendulous manner from the axle journals by means of. pendulating arms. These ski-runners are of themselves suflicient for taking off from and landing on to snow-covered ground, but they are also provided with wheels the treads of which project slightly beyond the undersides of the ski-runners. This combination of ski-runners and wheels is of particular advantage for enabling the aeroplane to land upon sandy soil, freshly ploughed fields, stony gground, and ground broken up by ditches and the like, since it not only pre vents the aeroplane from sinking into the soil, butalso gives to the machine a certain amount of capacity for rolling along the ground.

In co tradistinction to the usual use of pneumatic-tyred wheels that are very liable to wear, and are diflicult to replace in wild districts, the present invention provides rigid wheels having their axles suspended in a resilient manner relatively to the ski-runners. In view of the length of ski-runners it is of great advantage to use for each 7 erably 7 over the entire length of the ski-runners and pair of wheels carried by a lever suspended in a resilient manner mmetrically to the rocking arm. If desireya larger number of wheels may be used, and the several wheels may be connected by a caterpillar orv endless track. The entire landing apparatus is prefenclosed by a cover which extends thus constitutes a body of least resistance to the air similar to anaero lane fuselage.

With the object of dimlnishing the air resistance the mechanism that serves for the resilient connection of thelanding carriage or frame to the actual landing devices, is

also enclosed in the fuselage-shaped cover for the ski-runners. The landing axle which "otherwise is movable upwardly in relation to lower a transverse axle connecting the plvotal joints of the landing frame, may be fixed rigidlyto the said landing frame, and

thehsaid transverse axle may be dispensed wit v i The landing apparatus further comprises a fixed arm-extending downwards from the axle journal against both sides of the free end of which arm the ski-runner casing abuts by means of bufier stops, thus limiting in a resilient manner the extent of the move-. ments of the pendulous arms around the landing axle journal, so that while flying, the ski-runner cover assumes in the air the direction of the aeroplane independently of the latters changes in speed, whereas on coming into contact with the ground it is able, by' yielding longitudinally to adapt itself to the unevenness of the ground to the extent allowed by the buffer mechanismin view of safety in landing.

The improvements of this invention are illustrated byway of examp 4 fications in the aeeompanylng which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a first modification of the improved landing a paratus taken at right angles tothe tree s of the ski-runners;

drawings in Fig. 2 is a long tudinal section thereof taken parallel to the ski-runner treads; and Fig. 3 is a cross section taken through the pendulous arms.

Fig. 4 is a section similar to 1 of a second modification;

Is in two modiv Figure 6 is a cross section similar to Fig. 3 of this second modification; and

Figure 5 is a plan of a brake mechanism designed to prevent too great amplitude of movement of the ski-runners.

As shown, 1 is the ski-runner; 2 is the cover; 3 are the pendulous arms for the suspension of the landing apparatus from the axle journals of the landing frame. Next the ski-runner 1 there is fixed to the pendulous arms 3 a stationary axle 4 of steel tubing and, over it, an axle pin 5 is resiliently suspended, movable in slots in the pendulous arms. On this movable axle pin 5 there is mounted a lever 6 which carries the two landingwheels 7, 7

In the second modification shown in F igures 4 and 5, the pendulous arms 3 are not provided with round eyes for their suspension from the landing axle journals, but are slotted, and suspended by means of an extension 9 in a resilient manner from a semi-circular cross bar 8 8 which is situated above the landing axle journal, and serves to secure the two rocking arms 3 firmly together. The axle 4 is fixed to the landing frame and is caused by the impact on landing to move in opposition to the pull of a rubber tension device, in a downward direction in the slots of thependulous arms r so far as the more yielding resilient suspension of the landing wheels 7, 7 has not been able to absorb the shock. of landing.

In the case of a landing axle which is upwardly movable in relation to the pivotal joints of the landing frame, the same effect is produced by dispending with the cross bar 8, and fixing the extension 8, above the rubber bufi'er suspended above the landing axle, to the pivotal joints of the landing frame.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the construction of the brake which consists of the lever 9 fixed on the landing axle journal. This lever has a slotted lower end, and its sl0tprongs embrace a rod 10 fixed to the ski-runner.

11, 11 are buffer springs interposed between the slotted end 9 of the lever and the points of attachment of the rod 10.

If desired, the landing apparatus may be suitably enlarged and air chambers or bags be provided in the middle thereof, whereby the landing frame is converted into a pontoon for landing on the water.

What I claim is l. A landing apparatus for air-craft comprising in combination a ski-runner, pendulous arms to which the ski-runner is at tached, wheels slightly projecting through the ski-runner, means for resiliently supporting the wheels on the ski-runner, said means being such as to allow a relative movement between the wheels and the ski-runner,

and means on the pendulous arms enabling the Whole of the landing apparatus to be pivoted to the axle journal of the aeroplane.

2. A landing apparatus for air-craft comprising in combination a ski-runner, pendulous arms to which the ski-rimner is attached, a pair of running wheels, rocking levers carrying the said wheels, means for levers carrying the said wheels, means for resiliently supporting the said rocking levers together with the running wheels on the ski-runner, said means being such as to allow a relative movement between the skirunner and the wheels and rocking levers and comprising slots provided in the pendulous arms, a fixed pin attached to the pendulous arms, amovable pin capable of sliding in the said slots and on which the rocking levers carrying the running wheels is mounted, and a resilient connection between the fixed and movable pins, and means on the pendulous arms enabling the whole of the landing apparatus to be pivoted to the axle journal of the aeroplane.

4. A landing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, and in which the means on the pendulous arms enabling the whole of the landing apparatus to be pivoted to the axle journal of allow a relative movement between the pendulous arms and the axle journal of the aeroplane, in combination with means which are such as to render the said relative movement resilient.

, 5. A landing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, havin a fusi-form casing that en closes the pendulous arms, running wheels and the upper portion of the ski-runner, whereby the landing apparatus is caused to have the form of a fuselage corresponding to the main fuselage of the air-craft.

6. A landing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having a ski-runner casing, a downwardly extending arm fixed to the axle journal of the aeroplane and resilient bufi'er springs carried by the ski-runner casin for the purpose of limiting the amplitu e of the oscillating movement of the ski-runner.

7. A landing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having a ski-runner casing, a downwardly extended arm fixed to the axle journal of the aeroplane and having a. slotted the aeroplane are such as also tolower end, a rod at right angles to the said of the arm and the two ends of the said arm and engaging therewith, resilient bufier rod which latter ends are attached to the springs carried. by the ski-runner-casing for ski-runner-easing; 10 the purpose of limiting the amplitude of In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 the oscillating movement of the ski-runner, name to this specification.

the said b'ufi'er springs being interposed between the two sides of the said slotted end MICHAEL ADAMCZIK. 

